Texans just have to be different. Even when it comes to picking a presidential nominee.

Most other states have a primary or a caucus. Texas Democrats use both. The "Texas two-step" is a cute metaphor for this electoral hybrid, but it could make for a long and potentially confusing day on Tuesday.

Primary polls will run for 12 hours. Then Democratic voters can return for their precinct's caucus. Roughly two-thirds of Texas' Democratic delegates come from the primaries, and one-third from the caucus process that night.

The Texas caucuses normally are ignored by everyone but die-hard party activists. But this year, they could tip the delegate balance toward Barack Obama or Hillary Rodham Clinton. The process is so complicated that one candidate could win more popular votes statewide, but still end up with fewer delegates.

"I think it's an odd way to run an election," said David Harms, 57, a retired steelworker from North Shore. "It would seem more fair if the popular vote determined the number of the delegates."

"It seems like a pain," said Tiffany Parnell, 27, after attending a caucus training event run by Obama supporters Thursday night. "But if it's what we have to do, we'll do it."

So how does it work? Obama volunteer Sumita Prasad boiled it down like this: "In that precinct room, you want more of us and less of them. You don't need to know math or formulas."

The caucus — officially dubbed a "precinct convention" — begins at 7:15 p.m. or when the polls close, whichever is later.

Caucus-goers arrive and put their names and presidential preference on the "sign-in sheet." Ideally, they should show proof of having voted in the Democratic primary, but it is not absolutely necessary, according to the Harris County Democratic Party.

The group first elects a chair and secretary. Those two then take a count, noting the total number of people and how many are for Obama or Clinton. Delegates then are distributed proportionally.

For example, say 100 people show up at a given precinct on Tuesday night. If 75 of them support Clinton, and 25 support Obama, then she gets 75 percent of the delegates and he gets 25 percent. If the precinct has 20 delegates to allot, Clinton gets 15, Obama 5.

Rules followed loosely

On Tuesday night, each precinct will have a preset number of delegates to send up to the next level. The number is determined by how many Democrats from the precinct voted for
Chris Bell
in the 2006 gubernatorial race.

"It's a whole lot harder to explain than do," said Ella Tyler, a Clinton supporter and member of the state Democratic Executive Committee. What really matters is the number of "warm bodies who are there at the sign-in," she said.

After the delegates are divided between Clinton and Obama, mini-elections will be held to choose the actual people who go to the next level on March 29.

The next level is a county-level or state Senate district. There, the process will be repeated, with Clinton and Obama supporters getting a proportion of the state delegate slots according to their percentage share.

Though the basic principles are simple, some fear that massive turnout and a tight race could create unforeseen problems at the 874 caucuses throughout Harris County.

If primary turnout this year is any indicator, attendance at the caucuses could be record-breaking, said Gerry Birnberg, chairman of the Harris County Democratic Party.

More than 158,000 people participated in early voting in Harris County's Democratic primary. Birnberg said that up to half a million people could vote by the close of polls Tuesday. The highest primary turnout in the last 20 years was 78,000 in 2004.

"This is just completely off the charts," he said. "Where the big question mark comes is: How many people will come back for precinct conventions?"

Usually, only 5,000 people attend caucuses throughout Harris County, Birnberg said. But up to 100,000 people could show up Tuesday night.

'A lot of unknowns'

If people vote at the last minute Tuesday, lines could form and delay the start of the caucuses. If caucuses themselves become crowded, the chair could call a vote to move to another location.

"There are a lot of unknowns," admitted Sheryl Roppolo, a Channelview resident and the state party's parliamentarian.

One unknown is how caucus leaders will confirm that each attendee voted in the Democratic primary. Voters should have received a stamp or receipt after they cast their ballots, but some did not get one. Heavy turnout also meant poll workers ran out of the receipts at times, Roppolo said. Some voters may forget their receipts.

"If you didn't get anything, don't panic," Roppolo said. Go ahead and participate, and party workers will check that you voted over the next few days.

"I heard a lot of complaints about how confusing it is," Lloyd said. If Democrats want to abolish the caucus system, they must attend a caucus and introduce a resolution to that effect.

"The caucus is about the power brokers in the Democratic party controlling it," said Fitzsimmons, a union organizer. Also, people who work at night are effectively excluded, he said.

John Blevins, a professor at South Texas College of Law, said caucuses also exclude people who cannot afford baby sitters, the elderly and the sick.

"It's hard for them to go sit around for hours at night," he said. "I definitely think this is going to give some pause to reconsider it. In a way, it's a blessing, because it shows what a complicated system it is, which makes it easier to reform or at least start a dialogue."

Other Democrats said caucuses help build party loyalty and participation.

"It's much more participatory than just voting in a primary," Tyler said. "There are discussions, it's very neighborhood-oriented."